The use of participatory visual methods with community health workers: A systematic scoping review of the literature

Abstract

With the need to design and evaluate Community Health Worker (CHW) programmes from a more human-centred perspective, researchers and programme managers are exploring the role of participatory visual methodologies (PVMs). This review identifies, maps, and assesses the quality of current literature that describes the use of PVMs with CHWs. It includes material from the grey literature and 10 major databases between 1978-2018. A Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) Qualitative checklist was used to assess the overall quality of the included studies. 12 original studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies were located in North America (n = 9) or sub-Saharan Africa (n = 3), with photovoice (n = 6) and digital storytelling (n = 5) being the most commonly used forms of PVMs. The overall quality of the evidence described in these articles was high, but it was notable that seven studies did not fully report the ethical considerations of their work. The studies revealed that PVMs can help assist CHWs’ reflective practice and understanding of complex health issues, as well as identifying key issues in the community to potentially leverage social action.